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Friday, 11 September 2009

Another Gardener's Perspective

Yes .. I have to have some foolish Halloween bit to start this post off .. the time is flying by and I haven't done so many of the things I wanted to have accomplished by now.Distraction is my middle .. heck .. should be my first name really ! "Dave" and the boys are fine .. it has been unseasonably HOT here .. for us .. I know that Cindee from Cindee's Garden has it much hotter there, better you than me girl ? LOL .. but one of her comforts has been the stunning sunsets she has shared on her site ... they are phenomenal girl !! I only wish I could see them in person : )My sunrises have not been anything to even take a picture of .. clear clear skies mean NO reflected light .. thus no 'show"So I turn to very boring pictures .. I am really stretching .. pushing the envelope ? with these ones .. but the passionflower vine .. "Maypop" like Kathleen from Kasey's Korner has .. we are in a joint experiment to see if it will truly survive our zone.In any case .. the curling trendils of this vine are amazing to me ..

OOPS .. this Stag Horn Sumac 's "berry horns"? demanded a picture in the middle of it all : )

In any case .. these trendils are like corkscrew curly cues ?

They will latch on to anything .. so don't stand still long here folks .... move along quickly !!

I just love this little cast iron lantern .. so a picture has to be shown .. the garden is DRY .. but the weatherman swears there will be rain tomorrow .. if not .. I know one gardener who will be dragging the hose around SOON ... aarrrggghhh !

Martha from Water Roots came for a visit yesterday. She is such a kind warm person, that I let down my guard and let her see my garden in its agony .. worst time of the year to see it .. I normally would never let anyone see it up close and personal in its condition right now.

Having another gardener, point out what is actually pretty right now, is a wonderful gift .. along with actually having a new friend who is a gardener !

"Jack Frost" brunnera was the one she spotted that totally captured her attention.

I didn't forget how wonderful a plant it is .. but to have a new outlook, or a fresh perspective ? to how truly great a plant it is .. a very pleasant boost to your own outlook once again.

I told her she would be wowed by the beautiful dainty blue flowers it has in the Spring .. so now naturally she is totally sold on 'him" ! : )

We both plan to have MORE of him in our gardens !

Martha has worked so hard just to clean her yards up .. to even see their potential .. a new home with a new garden is such a blank slate .. all the planning over the winter will be one of the best "cabin fever" therapies ever girl ! ;-)

As for my waxbell update .. STILL in labor ... no birth yet .. this is driving me nuts Tina !! LOL

29 comments:

Lovely, lovely post, Joy. That pumpkin-man looks really interesting. I've never seen anything like him before.I love that cast-iron lantern that you've shown. Is it purely decorative or do you light it sometimes?

Not only your Brunnera looks fantastic but take a look at those heucheras. Lush and full, no browned foliage. And I love the driftwood and smiley rock [?] and the lantern. I hope it rains just enough that you won't have to drag the hose. It gets kind of old by this time, doesn't it?

Hello Sunita girl ! and thank you ! : ) .. we had some very interesting Halloween things come into my favorite store a few years ago .. but this year , nothing ! Darn !The iron lamp could take a tea light I think but I have discreet copper coloured solar lights that take on the night lighting of the garden (not that I am in the garden at night .. haha) .. but that little lamp is one of my favorites so I had to have it in a post !

Tina .. I woke up to NO rain yet .. but it is very gray out there so hopefully it will water the garden .. darn these waxbells are taking so LONG ! I know I will be getting more Jack Frost for sure !

Hi there Grace girl !You are so right .. this "pot" is taking its TIME !You are so right .. I am lucky with that corner of the garden .. the heuchera stay very fresh even when the soil is quite dry .. morning sun afternoon shade does help a lot ! Yes believe it or not it is filled with wax (smiley face that is). Yup again .. that hose dragging is such a chore ;-)

I also have Jack Frost and it impresses me through the entire growing season starting with the dainty blue flowers you mentioned. This time of year the Sumac always catches my eye. When I was a kid, we called it Indian Tobacco. Sumac leaves were mixed with tobacco and smoked in pipe as part of a ceremony or spiritual offering. That's my understanding. The Oneida Nation is a large part of the community where I live and I find everything about their culture interesting.

Hope you get some rain soon Joy. Dragging hoses is not my favorite part of gardening either so I understand. I wish my Jackfrost looked as good as yours does, I think mine will need to be moved this fall to a better location. :)

Joy, are you kidding me? If your garden was at its worst when I visited (and it looked so nice), I wonder what it's like at its best. It must be awesome!

"Jack Frost" brunnera is definitely on my 'wanted' list. I will absolutely add that plant to my garden. Not sure where yet, but I do have potential spots for it. I can't wait till my garden reaches a point that I can give YOU things from it. Won't that be fun? I don't know what it is about gardeners but they do like to share their surplus with fellow gardeners.

In any case, I am so thrilled to be able to visit your home and see your garden and meet your girls. What a privilege that is! You are terrific!

Hi Joy~~ Thank you for the nice words regarding my garden. I believe the plant you're referring to--green between two variegated ones--is Bergenia. Its foliage can get comparatively large in shade with moist soil. In the winter, the foliage turns purple. Not sure if its hardy in your clime but worth a look anyway.

I totally agree with Grace here, Joy! Your foliage combinations in the brunnera photos are spectacular. And of course the lantern, stone head, and driftwood are wonderful touches. But I must say, I suspect the "boys" have taken deep offense that you referred to their photo in such disparaging terms!

Joy, every little vignette of your garden looks so carefully planned--everything compliments each other. I can't imagine your garden not being up to inspection by a visitor! Sometimes it does help to have another gardener see the beauty that we often overlook. I agree wholeheartedly on the "Jack Frost"--mine was even blooming a little this summer!

Good to see the girls at play in yesterday's post. Here the main action is between Sophie, the dog, and the cats. Toby and Tarzan have made it clear they will only stand so much tomfoolery:)

I think I see one bell popping open just a little! Won't be long, I think. I love the tendrils, fascinating; they look like wire springs. Yes, Jack Frost is lovely, but made more so by the interesting assortment of foliage all around it. They really set it off. Good photos throughout.

Hi there Janet girl : )YES ! Jack's flowers are such an amazing BLUE! I fell in love with this plant because of the foliage but those flowers are like the icing on the cake (heaven knows I LOVE icing hahaIt is one beautiful plant you want in your garden for sure !

Donna girl I don't think I heard of that with the Sumac leaves before. It is such an interesting tree especially when you hear the history behind what was made out of its different parts.I knew about the "tea" made out of the berries but I can totally see the leaves being used for adding with the tobacco. Thank you for something new that I have learned ! : )

Hi cameron and thank you girl. I can't for the life of me remember where I got that little lantern from,but I do love it to bits : )

Hello there Bangchik : ) Thank you so much.There is a change in the air here and it is GREAT : ) I love Autumn and I will sneak as much as I can into my posts during this time, haha

Dear Mr. WiseA** Absolutely NO rain here today,and I made myself take a pajama day. So nothing was done in the garden and the guilt is rolling all over me;(I don't have a vantage point for the sunsets,unless I get dressed (yes.. I am in my pajamas EARLY !) and go chase it down. But I have YOU for that right ?? Some how I hear "Oh Joy" in a VERY cartoon voice ?? LOL

Racquel girl NOPE! NO rain today, things are getting VERY dry and I'm afraid I will certainly feel guilty enough to DRAG that "something" hose around tomorrow. My Jack gets morning sun and light afternoon shade. I'm keeping him on that side of the garden as much as possible ? Till he moves himself ?? LOL

Martha girl! You are too sweet and thank you too !Did you find that gold hoop earring anywhere near or in your house ? I manage to lose a pair every few years and bang .. I did it again ;-)Maybe Bailey might come across it ? haha Hey this is going to be a good winter because all this garden planning and scheming is going to be a hoot. I'll have our garden center route totally in hand so you will not miss a thing !I am still totally in awe of Bailey and next time I'm there I will take both cameras with me. She is going to be one very photographed little girl (ferret): )

Grace, I meant to ask what are the two little shrubs ? next to the bergenia.Their colours are so pretty. I'm not sure if they are shrubs or perennial plants ? They really caught my attention !

"ben" Thank you so much !I'm on a giggle fit here. I know sometimes I have to get 'Dave" going to make sure he stays awake for some pictures. The other boys find it funny when he gets mad at me LOL wink wink

Rose girl, thank you ! : )You know I hardly think in terms of planning, even when I say I am it all goes "pear shaped" something VP or my friend Jean would say (leave it to the British to term it that way ? LOL).I know my Jack had flowers stalks in succession for some time in the late Spring.I think it was the cool wet Spring that encouraged it so much.what ever it was I could look at those flowers forever : )That is too funny that you have a canine "Sophie"and I can't take the boys to task putting her in her place. I can well see Toby doing it. I'm sure "egged on" by Tarzan ? haha

Hello MissyM ! Thank you for stopping by : )I highly recommend Jack Frost brunnera .. it is my favorite so far out of those type of plants. It really does brighten up a shady area and those flowers in Spring are wonderful !

Barbee! you are such a TEASE woman !!! Stop that !! I made myself NOT look today so tomorrow is another day as Scarlet says and there might be an actual flower for me to take a picture of ?Those corkscrew tendrils are amazing eh ? and I do love my heuchera, they make Jack shine : )

Hey Chris : ) nice seeing you too !I love your term to what can happen some years to our plants. I am keeping that description for now on ! Thanks : ) LOL

Joy, your Brunnera and heucheras are looking very pretty, as are so many other things in your garden. My Jack Frost leaves are looking very tatty...something it hasn't done before. I need to investigate.I love the hydrangea bouquet! My Limelight has done very nicely this summer (it's second). Still only about 3ft tall, but loaded with blooms.Your little lantern adds a lovely touch and certainly deserves a picture :)I'm fascinated by curling tendrils too...see? It's a gardener thing...you're not alone :)I do hope your passionflower vine winters over.The "berry horns" are gorgeous! Such a beautiful colour!If you'd been at our cookout you would've got your "blackened" marshmallow. There were a few :)The bees will be here until spring. The beekeeper says it's too close to winter to move them safely now. They wouldn't survive.You have some real beauties in your garden. I've been roaming through all your posts (in Bloglines) that I've missed during this busy summer. Love the meadow rue and balloon flowers, helenium...and so many others. You have a beautiful garden, Joy! I'm sure Martha loved it. What fun it is meeting other bloggers.Happy Autumn! It's nearly here. If only it would last for months instead of giving way to winter, and all that cold. Brrr.

Jack Frost, and the other brunneras are so easy to divide, and it's such a great plant all season. I love the blue blooms in the spring.

I planted one wax bells plant this spring, and it disappeared in less than a week. My fingers are crossed it comes back next year - that happens in this garden with a surprising amount of regularity. On the other hand, stuff disappears and never comes back pretty often too. Oh well!

I used to get all in a tizzy about other gardeners visiting when things weren't looking as great as I'd like. Here it's taking so long for the garden to get established it will be a long time before it looks great if it ever does, and I've relaxed my standards. If I hadn't, no one would ever be allowed!

From what I can see your garden looks great Joy - your wonderful foliage combinations carry the day most delightfully. It's always enlightening and inspiring to have another gardener visit. I like being able to see things through someone else's eyes.

Rusty ! Thank you ! For a water logged garden, yours is looking amazing : )You have such an assortment of gorgeous plants there set in a beautifully placed garden .. it has the WOW ! factor for sure : )

Nancy girl .. Jack is an incredible fellow" wink wink .. I'm wondering if it would survive in a big pot for you ? .. but then the pot may take up too much valuable room .. darn !I must have little bits of "silly" in my garden : )

Hello there Linda girl and thank you very much : ) Yes .. I thought you would pin point the gargoyles out of it all first ! LOL

Hi Linda .. it says rain today but I wonder about that one too.This is becoming a dry Autumn and that won't be good for the show of leaves darn it !

Hello there Kerrie girl : )Thank you so much girl : )I wonder what could bee at Jack there .. it seems so resistant to most anything in my garden ? I think hydrangea this year (all over) are really showing off : )Little garden art bits can really stick with you ;-)I think it is a gardener "thing" when we become so fascinate by plant structure like that.Fingers crossed over the passion flower vine for Kathleen and I .. it would be so great to have it survive ! Husband loves it of course.I really have a yen for blacken marshmallows Kerri .. I am going to have that on my mind a LOT !! LOL .. thank yo again Kerri .. it is wonderful to see your garden through another gardener's eyes and Martha is such a nice person .. in person ! LOLI too wish Autumn were longer .. winter shorter and Spring would be SPRING longer too ? haha

Hello there Linda ! I really have to have more Jack in my garden for sure : )Linda the funny thing is I got frustrated with my "bells" and yanked most of them out .. and now for them to appear an Spring and finally get to this stage is too funny ! so that happens a lot to me too !Yes ! ... I am like that too .. I really flip flopped over having Martha see this .. but she is such a warm empathetic person .. my guard went down ;-)You have to relax with other gardeners .. they can really help you ! LOLThat is a "key" we all need Linda .. the opportunity to have another gardener see our garden and point good things out we may not keep close in our memory to boost our confidence ? .. I'm just so glad to have another friend who is a GARDENER here in Kingston ! LOL

Joy, Your garden is beautiful~~and I am not just saying that. Ask Dave and the boys...they see it everyday and know it is filled with healthy, happy plants in beautiful vignettes. You put a lot of thought into your design...me? I plunk it into the garden! We really are lucky when a friend is a gardener, too. I find them refreshingly honest with me about what works and doesn't work! Have a good day! gail

Hi Gail girl .. thank you so much : ) but remember you are only seeing the "good" sections ? haha .. and Dave with the boys know they have to say I'm a good gardener anyways ? LOLI really don't put all that much thought into my gatherings .. it is a matter of how much sun which is becoming less and less each year with the maple growing and spreading .. but I don't mind .. I guess I am more of a shade gardener;-)It is wonderful to have that different input from another gardener .. it is a first time for me and I love it : )Thanks again !

Goodness gracious, looks pretty darned good to me. Come by some time and I'll show you "dry" -- so dry, that when you try to water, it beads up and runs away. The sunshine has been lovely, but we do need a bit of rain.

Hi Helen .. every time I see that picture it makes me grin : )it is so darn cute !YES !!! where is the rain they said we would have .. there is a bit of cloud cover out there but no rain as of yet .. it is getting to your description of dry though !!! YIKES !!